THERE was muted reaction from the main farm organisations yesterday to the warning from the Russian authorities that farm protests here would be counter-productive.
With the ban on beef from Co Monaghan, Co Cork and Co Tipperary due to become effective in nine days, the IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, said he understood the concerns of Russian consumers.
Irish farmers, he said, were prepared to provide the necessary information on beef sources.
Mr Donnelly also called on the Government to implement a national strategy for the beef industry and will today make a submission on the industry to the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, at a meeting in Dublin Castle.
Speaking in Limerick, Mr Frank Allen, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, said the Russian authorities will change their opinion about Irish farmers when they see how responsibly the protocol on their beef agreement with Ireland is being implemented.
The implementation of the agreement was the main topic at a 90-minute meeting between the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, and a Russian delegation yesterday.
The delegation was led by Dr Zotkine, Russia's permanent veterinary representative in Ireland, and the meeting dealt with how to police the agreement.
The delegation was led by Dr Zotkine, Russia's permanent veterinary representative in Ireland, and the meeting dealt with how to police the agreement.
A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said the discussions centred on the control mechanisms to be put in place to prevent beef from Monaghan, Cork and Tipperary entering Russian contracts.
Each animal in the country bears its own ear tag and this identifies the herd it comes from and the county of origin. The tags will be vital in reassuring the Russian authorities.
He said the main controls will be carried out in the meat plants but if a dispute arose over the source of an animal there would be further reference to cattle identity cards.
Last weekend at the Veterinary Congress in Killarney, the outgoing president of the Irish Veterinary Union, Mr Tom Hanley, said that administering the scheme will be "a bureaucratic nightmare".